Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God
The Second Church of the Community by the Mill
Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God
The Second Church of the Community by the Mill
In the summer of 1829, the construction of the Church of the Nativity of Christ was completed. This church was a west-side addition to the Kazan church bell tower and initially planned as a one-floor building with an elevated foundation. However, soon after the church of Christ's Nativity consecration, Father Seraphim asked to see M.V. Manturov and told him the following: "Not good, batiushka, we did not do too well, for we have built the church honoring the Nativity of our Lord and Savior whereas we have no church honoring His Most Holy Mother! So, the Queen of Heaven, batiushka, has become bitter towards me, the lowly Seraphim, and told me: "You honored My Son, and you forgot about Me!" So I have an idea, batiushka, how we could fix that; why don't we add another church underneath our newly constructed one? See to it that we have two churches."
In the summer of 1829, the construction of the Church of the Nativity of Christ was completed. This church was a west-side addition to the Kazan church bell tower and initially planned as a one-floor building with an elevated foundation. However, soon after the church of Christ's Nativity consecration, Father Seraphim asked to see M.V. Manturov and told him the following: "Not good, batiushka, we did not do too well, for we have built the church honoring the Nativity of our Lord and Savior whereas we have no church honoring His Most Holy Mother! So, the Queen of Heaven, batiushka, has become bitter towards me, the lowly Seraphim, and told me: "You honored My Son, and you forgot about Me!" So I have an idea, batiushka, how we could fix that; why don't we add another church underneath our newly constructed one? See to it that we have two churches."
The Venerable one gave some thread as a measurement tool, adding that, if the dug out space under the Church of Christ's Nativity equaled the thread's length, then a church in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God would be added.
The Venerable one gave some thread as a measurement tool, adding that, if the dug out space under the Church of Christ's Nativity equaled the thread's length, then a church in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God would be added.
Once the excavation was complete, Mikhail Vasilyevich took Father Seraphim's thread and measured the dug out part. It fit perfectly. Manturov reported it to Father Seraphim. Overjoyed and excited, the elder thanked him and gave his blessing to build this new church.

The ceiling vault, low-angled and flat, could not hold on its own without the ceiling posts that would have diminished the size of an already cramped church space. But when father heard from Manturov about this challenge, "he was filled with unspoken joy and, having spiritually rejoiced, exclaimed: "Four pillars: well, that means we will have four holy relics resting there! We will have our own shrine there, batiushka! What a joy it will be for all of us to behold."

In his conversation with the elder Paraskevi Ivanovna, Father Seraphim said that mother Alexandra's relics would find their eternal rest at the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Then, he asked: "How many of them will there be?" Perplexed, the elder nun went silent. Then, father lowered his head for a moment and then answered firmly: "Over there? Three."

A shrine was indeed created in 2000 to house the holy relics of the venerable women of Diveyevo: Alexandra, Martha and Elena. The uncovering of their relics took place on the feast of the Elevation of the Lord's Life-Giving Cross. First, the tomb of nun Elena was uncovered with her relics revealed. During the Vigil service on the eve of the feast of the Elevation of the Cross, the relics were removed from the crypt and transferred to the church of the Nativity of Christ. Mother Alexandra's holy relics were transferred after the festal Liturgy service on September 27, followed by Schemanun Martha's in the evening. Singing "Holy God," Mother Hegumenia and the sisters ceremoniously carried the tomb with the relics into the Church of the Nativity of Christ. More than 170 years after the Venerable Seraphim's prophecy, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God became the shrine holding the holy relics of the venerable women of Diveyevo.
Once the excavation was complete, Mikhail Vasilyevich took Father Seraphim's thread and measured the dug out part. It fit perfectly. Manturov reported it to Father Seraphim. Overjoyed and excited, the elder thanked him and gave his blessing to build this new church.

The ceiling vault, low-angled and flat, could not hold on its own without the ceiling posts that would have diminished the size of an already cramped church space. But when father heard from Manturov about this challenge, "he was filled with unspoken joy and, having spiritually rejoiced, exclaimed: "Four pillars: well, that means we will have four holy relics resting there! We will have our own shrine there, batiushka! What a joy it will be for all of us to behold."

In his conversation with the elder Paraskevi Ivanovna, Father Seraphim said that mother Alexandra's relics would find their eternal rest at the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Then, he asked: "How many of them will there be?" Perplexed, the elder nun went silent. Then, father lowered his head for a moment and then answered firmly: "Over there? Three."

A shrine was indeed created in 2000 to house the holy relics of the venerable women of Diveyevo: Alexandra, Martha and Elena. The uncovering of their relics took place on the feast of the Elevation of the Lord's Life-Giving Cross. First, the tomb of nun Elena was uncovered with her relics revealed. During the Vigil service on the eve of the feast of the Elevation of the Cross, the relics were removed from the crypt and transferred to the church of the Nativity of Christ. Mother Alexandra's holy relics were transferred after the festal Liturgy service on September 27, followed by Schemanun Martha's in the evening. Singing "Holy God," Mother Hegumenia and the sisters ceremoniously carried the tomb with the relics into the Church of the Nativity of Christ. More than 170 years after the Venerable Seraphim's prophecy, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God became the shrine holding the holy relics of the venerable women of Diveyevo.
"Four pillars – four saints! Four pillars – four relics! What a joy it is for us, batiushka!
Ven. Seraphim of Sarov
"Four pillars – four saints! Four pillars – four relics! What a joy it is for us, batiushka!
Ven. Seraphim of Sarov
The construction of the Church of Nativity of the Mother of God was completed in the summer of 1830. Despite a cholera epidemic, the abbot of the Annunciation monastery Archimandrite Joachim came at Father Seraphim's request to consecrate the new church on September 8/21 with the blessing of Bishop Afanasy of Nizhny Novgorod. When ordered to perform another consecration, he asked in amazement: "But I have just been there and consecrated your church, where else can a new consecration take place?" "Right there, a new one is right there!" When M.V. Manturov explained the new church's miraculous arrangement just as Father Seraphim wished, father Archimandrite exclaimed: "O, Seraphim, Seraphim! So wondrous are you and your actions, the holy elder of God!"

At Father Seraphim's invitation, Archimandrite Joachim, Protopresbyter Vasily Sadovsky and Mikhail Vasilyevich Manturov went to see him in Sarov after the consecration. Unable to find him in the monastery, the three travelled to his faraway hermitage. Father rejoiced at the arrival of his guests and thanked father Archimandrite. Then he said: "What should I offer to you, my esteemed guest, as a celebratory treat?" He had father Vasily follow him to the corner of his hermitage. Out of nowhere, a raspberry bush suddenly shot up from the floor. Pointing at three large ripened and perfectly looking berries, Father said: "Pick them, father, and serve them to our guests!" He regaled his guests saying: "Please, enjoy the treat that your lowly Seraphim is happily offering you! The Queen of Heaven Herself is serving you this treat, my fellow fathers!"
The construction of the Church of Nativity of the Mother of God was completed in the summer of 1830. Despite a cholera epidemic, the abbot of the Annunciation monastery Archimandrite Joachim came at Father Seraphim's request to consecrate the new church on September 8/21 with the blessing of Bishop Afanasy of Nizhny Novgorod. When ordered to perform another consecration, he asked in amazement: "But I have just been there and consecrated your church, where else can a new consecration take place?" "Right there, a new one is right there!" When M.V. Manturov explained the new church's miraculous arrangement just as Father Seraphim wished, father Archimandrite exclaimed: "O, Seraphim, Seraphim! So wondrous are you and your actions, the holy elder of God!"

At Father Seraphim's invitation, Archimandrite Joachim, Protopresbyter Vasily Sadovsky and Mikhail Vasilyevich Manturov went to see him in Sarov after the consecration. Unable to find him in the monastery, the three travelled to his faraway hermitage. Father rejoiced at the arrival of his guests and thanked father Archimandrite. Then he said: "What should I offer to you, my esteemed guest, as a celebratory treat?" He had father Vasily follow him to the corner of his hermitage. Out of nowhere, a raspberry bush suddenly shot up from the floor. Pointing at three large ripened and perfectly looking berries, Father said: "Pick them, father, and serve them to our guests!" He regaled his guests saying: "Please, enjoy the treat that your lowly Seraphim is happily offering you! The Queen of Heaven Herself is serving you this treat, my fellow fathers!"
Stories about such miracles abound in Seraphim's monastery. One of them directly relates to the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Shared by its sacristan Xenia Vasilyevna, the story is mentioned at the "Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery." "When everyone left the church, she approached the icon and saw that its oil lamp was empty of oil and extinguished. As she walked away in distress, she thought about Father Seraphim's will to keep the inextinguishable oil lamp: "What if all the rest of Father Seraphim's commands we expect to be fulfilled do not come true? We obviously have neither oil nor money to buy it and fill our inextinguishable oil lamp." She was assailed by thousands of doubts and felt as if her faith in the holy elder's clairvoyance gradually dissipated. Xenia Vasilyevna felt so low-spirited that she covered her face with her hands and stepped away from the icon of the Savior. Suddenly, she heard a crackling sound… Raising her head, she saw the oil lamp self-ignite. As she came closer, she noticed the glass case was full of oil again and two silver rubles laid on the edge. In complete emotional distress, she locked the church doors and hurried to share the miraculous event with her elder nun Elena Vasilyena. On her way there, another sister caught up with her followed by a peasant who was looking for the church's sacristan about some business. Upon seeing Xenia Vasilyevna, the peasant asked her: "Are you a sacristan, matushka?" "I am", said sister Xenia. "What do you need?" "Well, Father Seraphim left his instructions about your inextinguishable oil lamp. So I brought with me 300 rubles in paper money for you to buy oil for your oil lamp in memory of my deceased parents." At this, he named his parents by their name and handed over the money. At that instant, any doubts in the holy elder's clairvoyance and verity of his bequest faded away, leaving the sister terribly ashamed and lamenting her own unbelief."
Stories about such miracles abound in Seraphim's monastery. One of them directly relates to the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Shared by its sacristan Xenia Vasilyevna, the story is mentioned at the "Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery." "When everyone left the church, she approached the icon and saw that its oil lamp was empty of oil and extinguished. As she walked away in distress, she thought about Father Seraphim's will to keep the inextinguishable oil lamp: "What if all the rest of Father Seraphim's commands we expect to be fulfilled do not come true? We obviously have neither oil nor money to buy it and fill our inextinguishable oil lamp." She was assailed by thousands of doubts and felt as if her faith in the holy elder's clairvoyance gradually dissipated. Xenia Vasilyevna felt so low-spirited that she covered her face with her hands and stepped away from the icon of the Savior. Suddenly, she heard a crackling sound… Raising her head, she saw the oil lamp self-ignite. As she came closer, she noticed the glass case was full of oil again and two silver rubles laid on the edge. In complete emotional distress, she locked the church doors and hurried to share the miraculous event with her elder nun Elena Vasilyena. On her way there, another sister caught up with her followed by a peasant who was looking for the church's sacristan about some business. Upon seeing Xenia Vasilyevna, the peasant asked her: "Are you a sacristan, matushka?" "I am", said sister Xenia. "What do you need?" "Well, Father Seraphim left his instructions about your inextinguishable oil lamp. So I brought with me 300 rubles in paper money for you to buy oil for your oil lamp in memory of my deceased parents." At this, he named his parents by their name and handed over the money. At that instant, any doubts in the holy elder's clairvoyance and verity of his bequest faded away, leaving the sister terribly ashamed and lamenting her own unbelief."
During Soviet times, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was used as a vegetable cellar.
During Soviet times, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was used as a vegetable cellar.
On July 22, 1991, the church was returned to the monastery. Its second consecration took place on October 21, 1992. In 1993, a monastic tonsure, the first one after the monastery re-opening, was performed in the church. On the eve of the feast of the Laudation of the Most Holy Theotokos on April 2, Metropolitan Nicholas of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas arrived at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery to perform the tonsure. "The Sower," the journal of Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, published a detailed description of this memorable event. "We are at a small and cozy church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, with its low whitewashed vaulted ceiling. The oil lamps are burning. The sisters' choir sings peacefully and gracefully. The future nuns stand before the altar, with their hair down and wearing black loose garments. Each one holds a candle…"In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit", and the whole world, with its shaky path, its temptations and its sins suddenly fades away… One by one, the archpriest enrobes them: cassock, wimple, cowl…

Then, twelve nuns get up before us: Maria, Catherine, Eudoxia, Maria, Maria, Marina, Natalia, Catherine, Nadezhda, Irina, Lyubov, Nina. A new page has just been written in the chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery… "From now on, you, like the few small bricks that were laid here long ago, are forming the foundation of this newly reopened monastery," Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the newly tonsured nuns. "You came here of your own will, having renounced all the ties you had with the world; but do not think the world had denounced you.. You will be facing so many new temptations, both visibly and invisibly, either in a whisper or through a written word… Remember one thing: never lose your sense of prayerful presence being with Christ Our Lord and God."
On July 22, 1991, the church was returned to the monastery. Its second consecration took place on October 21, 1992. In 1993, a monastic tonsure, the first one after the monastery re-opening, was performed in the church. On the eve of the feast of the Laudation of the Most Holy Theotokos on April 2, Metropolitan Nicholas of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas arrived at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery to perform the tonsure. "The Sower," the journal of Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, published a detailed description of this memorable event. "We are at a small and cozy church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, with its low whitewashed vaulted ceiling. The oil lamps are burning. The sisters' choir sings peacefully and gracefully. The future nuns stand before the altar, with their hair down and wearing black loose garments. Each one holds a candle…"In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit", and the whole world, with its shaky path, its temptations and its sins suddenly fades away… One by one, the archpriest enrobes them: cassock, wimple, cowl…

Then, twelve nuns get up before us: Maria, Catherine, Eudoxia, Maria, Maria, Marina, Natalia, Catherine, Nadezhda, Irina, Lyubov, Nina. A new page has just been written in the chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery… "From now on, you, like the few small bricks that were laid here long ago, are forming the foundation of this newly reopened monastery," Metropolitan Nicholas addressed the newly tonsured nuns. "You came here of your own will, having renounced all the ties you had with the world; but do not think the world had denounced you.. You will be facing so many new temptations, both visibly and invisibly, either in a whisper or through a written word… Remember one thing: never lose your sense of prayerful presence being with Christ Our Lord and God."
Father wished that the basement church of the Nativity of Theotokos be used to read the Psalter for the deceased day and night until the end of time. The readings would start with the commemorations of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church and proceed to name all the benefactors of the monastery and then all of those who had asked for prayers for themselves and their loved ones.

Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery
Father wished that the basement church of the Nativity of Theotokos be used to read the Psalter for the deceased day and night until the end of time. The readings would start with the commemorations of the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church and proceed to name all the benefactors of the monastery and then all of those who had asked for prayers for themselves and their loved ones.

Chronicle of the Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery
The church services are infrequent here and reserved primarily for the nuns of the Diveyevo monastery. There are early Divine Liturgies on the feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and on the days of remembrance of the venerable saints of Diveyevo. Every morning, the service of praise to Venerable Alexandra, Martha and Elena is held by their shrines. From 8 am till 5 pm daily, the church opens its doors to anyone wishing to venerate the holy relics of the Diveyevo God-pleasing saints. Customarily, the church is the place where the sisters are sent for their tonsure.
The church services are infrequent here and reserved primarily for the nuns of the Diveyevo monastery. There are early Divine Liturgies on the feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and on the days of remembrance of the venerable saints of Diveyevo. Every morning, the service of praise to Venerable Alexandra, Martha and Elena is held by their shrines. From 8 am till 5 pm daily, the church opens its doors to anyone wishing to venerate the holy relics of the Diveyevo God-pleasing saints. Customarily, the church is the place where the sisters are sent for their tonsure.
The southern wall of the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God holds the antique icons of the Savior, Mother of God and St. John the Forerunner. This Deisis order was gifted by Venerable Seraphim to decorate the Nativity churches.

In 2010, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was painted by the artists from the art studio "Tsargrad" (Moscow) led by Dmitry Trofimov. They were assisted by the Diveyevo sisters and specialists from the Moscow studio "MarmorTech." The walls are covered with gold leaf and gold symbolizes the Heavenly Kingdom, Heavenly Glory and the Heavenly Light. The Heavenly Kingdom is an uncreated firmament and it tells us that life never ends for us here. By virtue of its symbolism, we rejoice knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven truly exists. The paintings are dedicated to the earthly life of the Most Holy Mother of God and the history of Diveyevo.
The southern wall of the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God holds the antique icons of the Savior, Mother of God and St. John the Forerunner. This Deisis order was gifted by Venerable Seraphim to decorate the Nativity churches.

In 2010, the church of the Nativity of the Mother of God was painted by the artists from the art studio "Tsargrad" (Moscow) led by Dmitry Trofimov. They were assisted by the Diveyevo sisters and specialists from the Moscow studio "MarmorTech." The walls are covered with gold leaf and gold symbolizes the Heavenly Kingdom, Heavenly Glory and the Heavenly Light. The Heavenly Kingdom is an uncreated firmament and it tells us that life never ends for us here. By virtue of its symbolism, we rejoice knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven truly exists. The paintings are dedicated to the earthly life of the Most Holy Mother of God and the history of Diveyevo.
Everything in the monastery that was sanctified by Mother Alexandra's ascetic exploits will come together in this church!

Venerable Seraphim of Sarov

Everything in the monastery that was sanctified by Mother Alexandra's ascetic exploits will come together in this church!

Venerable Seraphim of Sarov
By Father Seraphim's command, the land on either side of the Nativity church was fenced because the Queen of Heaven's feet stepped on it. In 2008, additions were built on both side of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God and their altars consecrated in honor of the Archangel Michael and The Holy Royal Passion-Bearers. Venerable Seraphim had long known that a left side altar would be dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Each of these altars are placed almost exactly over the initial burial places of his beloved disciple Mikhail Vasilyevich Manturov and the spiritual father of the Diveyevo sisters, Protopresbyter Vasily Sadovsky. At the beginning of the 19th century, the elder from Sarov told Father Vasily: "When you die, may you be buried on the right-hand side of the Nativity church altar while Mishenka (Manturov) will take the left side."
By Father Seraphim's command, the land on either side of the Nativity church was fenced because the Queen of Heaven's feet stepped on it. In 2008, additions were built on both side of the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God and their altars consecrated in honor of the Archangel Michael and The Holy Royal Passion-Bearers. Venerable Seraphim had long known that a left side altar would be dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Each of these altars are placed almost exactly over the initial burial places of his beloved disciple Mikhail Vasilyevich Manturov and the spiritual father of the Diveyevo sisters, Protopresbyter Vasily Sadovsky. At the beginning of the 19th century, the elder from Sarov told Father Vasily: "When you die, may you be buried on the right-hand side of the Nativity church altar while Mishenka (Manturov) will take the left side."